Sea Cliff Civics Association holds White Cap Awards to honor those who rise to the occasion

Resident and community leaders gathered at Sea Cliff Yacht Club on June 7 to honor community members for stellar civic service with the White Cap Awards. This event, organized by the Sea Cliff Civic Association, was the first such award ceremony since 2019, and honors those who have gone above and beyond in service of their neighbors and the village.

Founded in 1965, the awards had previously been held every year, until the coronavirus pandemic took Sea Cliff and the rest of the world by storm. The name comes from the foam that forms on the top of waves, in honor of how award winners are community members who rise to the occasion.

As if to make up for the years missed, four Sea Cliff residents who have served in a variety of roles throughout the community over the years were honored as White Cap recipients.

Couple Kevin and Jane McGilloway, the former village trustee and a current member of the 325 committee, the latter who has spent years working with the school district and formerly ran the Mutual Concerns senior Lunch program. Both received awards on June 7.

Dina Epstein, former village deputy mayor and an active supporter for environmental causes, and Elizabeth Weinstein, who was one of the founders of the local grassroots environmental group, the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, in 1986, also received White Caps.

Ann DiPietro, president of the Civics Association, explained that residents can be nominated by members of local organizations such as the Fire Department or the beautification committee. The nominees are then voted on by the members of the civic association, with the winners invited to the award ceremony without being told that they have won.

“Keeping it a surprise adds to the whole dramatic effect,” DiPietro explained after the event. “You go there to support someone or people you know, and then all of a sudden it turns out that you’re the one. It’s very fun.”

Former recipients of the White Cap award read introductions about the winners to the gathered group of roughly 40. During the course of the introductions it became exceedingly clear who they were referring to, causing some joking as recipients realized they were the ones being honored.

The recipients themselves gave short speeches as well, thanking the people that nominated them, their neighbors and the community and village itself for making Sea Cliff such a wonderful place to live.

“Sea Cliff was weird when I got here, it’s still weird I’m happy to report, and I hope it stays weird after,” Epstein said in her acceptance speech. “This is a fantastic place to live, and I love it here, so thank you, thank you, thank you.”